Game Story
A preseason back-to-back? Joel Embiid’s return?
The Minnesota Timberwolves kicked off a weekend of Minnesota sports teams playing against Philadelphia sports teams in their final preseason tune-up before the regular season officially starts in Portland on Wednesday. The Wolves did not activate many of their “main rotation guys” tonight after they played high minutes a night ago, so it was a chance to see the young guys and players fighting for a spot in the league take the court.
Meanwhile on the other
side, it was the complete inverse. The 2022-23 NBA MVP made his return to the court for the 76ers as they hoped to right the ship after a season that was plagued by too many injuries to count. This preseason game had a few more storylines than usual, but it was truly a game for the sickos who enjoy watching the potential next wave of Wolves basketball.
The Timberwolves young guns put up a great fight against the 76ers early. Tyrese Maxey came ready to play, and Joel Embiid finally returned to action after playing in just 19 games last season. Having the young guys go against legit NBA talent in a real game setting is great for their development as we sit on the edge of the regular season starting.
Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky got reps against one of the best big-men in the game. Jaylen Clark got reps against a great point guard. Up-and-coming rookie, Rob Dillingham, could see a blueprint of the type of player he could one day become.
Clark is usually known for his defense, but he still was second on the team in scoring in this one (14 points). He hit a couple of threes and was a perfect six of six from the free throw line. That is the offensive blueprint for Clark. Chris Finch had consistently said that Clark needs to focus on a few things and not step outside of himself on the offensive end of the floor. While the usage was a little higher tonight, he surprised me with his ability to get to the free throw line. The finishing will most likely be of a simple variety for Clark for his career, but if he can supplement that with a high free throw rate along with his A+ defense, he’ll find a way to get on to the floor.
Dillingham was one of the other main players to watch in this one. It’s funny to watch him battle it out with Maxey as they share a lot of similarities: Quick, shifty, undersized, and former University of Kentucky Wildcats. Dillingham chipped in 11 points and had six assists, continuing to show off his quick first step that helps him to get by even the best defenders. He also displayed a growing chemistry with Joan Beringer with the ability to throw lobs. Unfortunately, he also had five turnovers, much of which came late in the game as it got out of hand.
It was a mixed bag in the game this evening, but he did show flashes of brilliance.
Joan Beringer was great at the rim tonight. He scored 13 points, but only had three rebounds. He balanced that performance with three rejections. He continued to show the same stuff he has all preseason: Very raw, but overflowing talent. It feels like he’s much further ahead of schedule than anyone anticipated him to be. Though he will most likely start the season out of the regular rotation, it is easy to put a bookmark in his performance and something to be more than intrigued by.
The young Wolves battled valiantly, but it ultimately was Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe show, as they put up impressive numbers (43 points). It’s was an entertaining final matchup, but let the basketball games finally begin to counts now.
Up Next:
Regular season hoops! The Timberwolves will have an extended rest period before heading West to kickoff the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, October 22nd at 9:00pm CST. The gae will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network.
